God is Indeed Still Working For Us and In Us

I would like to address the topic that God is working in the lives of Christians, whether they are gay, lesbian, straight, bisexual, or transgender. Once a person believes in Jesus Christ as the only way of salvation, then God provides us with a multitude of assurances that God is indeed in our lives and working in our lives through the power of the Holy Spirit. At the point of our salvation God provides so many things, that one can just do a simple Bible Study on the following and get a rewarding look and what and who we are in Christ and in the Body of Christ. The following scripture references apply to all Christians — not just ‘straight’ ones, but all or, as in the title of this Web site proclaims, “Whosoever.”

There are two aspects of this we must look at, our position with Christ and our experiences in our natural, human form. Right now, while we are still on this earth, we experience everything: feelings, emotions, pain, sorrow and also, joy, happiness, contentment, peace, etc., which is all in our experience. However, since we are new creations in Christ, we also can see ourselves positionally with Christ, as we shall see.

First of all, I’d like to point out the Positional Truths – there are 68 of these. Before I list them, please print this out and open your Bible and study these for yourselves. In the book of Acts, the Bereans were “noble-minded” and went home after the service and studied for themselves what the teacher had taught. (Acts 17:11). Never take for granted, or become familiar with what Scripture teaches. If we think, “Oh, I’ve heard this before,” then we miss an opportunity for God to minister to us through the Book, His Words, The Word of God. Jesus was called the Word in John 1:1-5. We are reading the very words … the very being of Jesus Christ, when we read and study the Scriptures.

If you would, write out the passages that are listed, meditate on them, and think on these things. The Word of God can renew your mind and soul. In Ephesians 4:21-24 it states:

“If indeed you have heard [Jesus] and have been taught by [Jesus], as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.” (NKJ)

68. We are now light in the Lord (Ephesians 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 5:4).

Whew! What a list! If you are not excited about reading that list, then you really need to study them out for yourselves! I especially love #59: “We are a chosen generation, a peculiar people.” Now, I’m sure that most would think that the word “peculiar” here might mean weird, odd, or strange. But if you are truly studying scripture, you need to take the meaning from it’s original language, Greek, and have it translated. The word “peculiar” is translated from the word: peripoiesis (per-ee-poy’-ay-sis); meaning an acquisition (the act or the thing); by extension, preservation: or to obtain (-ing), peculiar, purchased, possession, saving. Thus we are the “purchased possession” of God. WOW. [By the way, you can get these definitions and word origins from a Strong’s Concordance with Hebrew & Greek].

The next list is what we experience as believers. Once we are born again, these must become our experience. We can no longer go around believing that our past is our present. Christ died for our sins on the cross, once and for all. For all our past, present and future sins. For if you look at it, everything we are doing now, was in Christ’s future. When Jesus died on the Cross he cried out, “It is finished,” meaning that the debt had been paid, no longer was sin an issue to reconcile ourselves with our Creator. We were freed from the law of sin and death to become new creations in Christ. The old is past, behold all things have become new. So, we must experience the new believer’s life, as a new creation.

No longer can we live in our past doings, our past sin, our past afflictions, our past lusts, greed, or unrighteousness. For Christ already has clothed us with His robe of righteousness, of purity and of wholeness. We were made clean by the blood that He shed on Calvary. So no one can condemn us, no one can judge us [but Christ — then only for the works we have done after we are saved, because all our sins are forgiven already!], and no one can tear us down. Sure, we might be persecuted for our faith, as Christ was, but remember, Christ laid down His life willingly. When they hate you, remember they hated Jesus.

So, here is our list of what we can experience as a believer in Jesus Christ [27 things].

1. There is no condemnation for the believer (Romans 8:1, John 3:18, 5:24, 1 Corinthians 11:32).

How awesome is this list! I’m amazed at all the things that God has so far provided for us in Him! I’m blown away by the idea that God gives us peace, hope, every spiritual blessing, rest, joy, consolation, intercession, and so much more. What a terrific, great God we serve!

If you have any further questions, I’ll be glad to answer them. I also have another document that goes into this subject matter a little deeper with all the Greek words given and their definition on about thirty-six of these sixty-eight. However, if you are truly a student of the Word, I’m positive that you can find much more about our position and our experience in Christ.

I’d like to conclude with one final passage of Scripture, something that has been made fresh and alive in me through reading this passage. First of all God is love. We can not even love God before we come to Christ. All that is required of us is to believe in Jesus Christ as God, as our Savior, and God does the rest. This passage comes from the First Epistle of John, chapter four, verses fifteen through nineteen (I Jn 4:15-19):

“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.” (NKJ)

What I want to point out is in verse 17, “…because as He is, so are we in this world.” That statement shows that we are as Christ. Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is an eternal being, with no beginning and no ending. When we confess Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in us, and we abide in God, and we too, become an eternal being. God is love. Whoever abides in love, abides in God, and God abides in us. — Do you see where I am going? As Christ is God, Christ is Love. We are in Christ and Christ lives in us. This way, we have love abiding in us and we must be Christ to the world. We must love the world, even though the world may hate us. The Scripture reads, “There is no fear in love, but perfect love (Christ) casts out fear.” When we fear, we lose our experience with Christ. We must experience love at all times.

When we express our emotions of hatred toward those in the world who may misunderstand our lives, we are acting and behaving no better than those who are against us. We need to show the world that we are a peculiar people, a people chosen by God, purchased by His blood; we are a holy nation, God’s own people. Be assured that God can never leave you, nor will He ever forsake you. People may leave. People may forsake you. People may even “out” you, with revenge and anger in their hearts. But, we are the People of God, called by His Name, called from the dark and delivered from shame. One holy race, saints from above, seated with Christ in the heavenly places. AS HE IS, SO ARE WE.

God loves you. No matter who you are. God gave Jesus willingly to die in our place, securing our place in heaven for all eternity. John 3:16 states it so perfectly, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that WHOSOEVER believes in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life!” Rest assured that we are in Christ and we will have eternal, everlasting life with Christ in heaven when we die, or when we are raptured (whichever comes first!).